Richard Cockerill fears English club rugby is in the grip of “political
correctness” where pedantic officialdom is knocking the rough and tumble out
of rugby’s playground and stopping “boys being boys”.

And the Leicester Tigers director of rugby makes an impassioned plea to referees not to turn the forthcoming festive period into a colourful card producing frenzy.

Former England hooker Cockerill wants to avoid matches being ruined by a glut of red cards having seen referee Tim Wigglesworth show three of them plus two yellows in Tigers’ hard-fought 17-12 win over Bath.

In a feisty second-half battle between two of rugby’s oldest rivals Bath’s Francois Louw (elbow) and Matt Banahan (high tackle), plus Tigers’ Brett Deacon (punch), were dismissed while the visitors also had Simon Taylor and Stephen Donald sent to the sin-bin.

Yet Cockerill felt the firm punishment served up by Wigglesworth with the help of his eagle-eyed assistants, was both unnecessary and threatens to undermine the true physicality of the game.

He complained: “Three red cards in a game where there was a lot of pushing and shoving and a clumsy tackle is madness to me.

“It was just shenanigans. In a way what went on made the game more interesting. We all live in the playground. Boys will be boys and you shake hands and get on with it.

“The first sending off was something about nothing. There was a bit of a scuffle and Louw dropped an elbow on a Leicester player and it’s a straight red card. Should he have been sent off? Probably not.

“It’s a bit harsh but it’s the world we live in. I don’t think it will put anybody off from wanting to play the game but it’s a man’s game. It’s a physical game.

“Banahan is a big, physical man who made a clumsy challenge. It hurt Anthony and it looks particularly bad but I don’t think it was particularly malicious.

“Brett Deacon retaliates a little bit and throws a punch because his mate has been pole-axed and suddenly they are both off. You strike a player and it’s a straight red.

“It’s political correctness gone mad and in my opinion it’s out of kilter in terms of how the game should be played.”

Bath, whose tries came from Donald and Tom Biggs, had led 5-0 at half-time and defended stoutly to hold onto a losing bonus point. But they were undone by the red and yellow cards and an Adam Thompstone try plus George Ford kicking 12 points.